Glossary of Smoking Cessation Terms

People who want to stop smoking need as much information as they can get to help them accomplish this difficult task. Learning the terminology associated with smoking, and quitting, is a good first step.

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addiction: A chronic physiological and/or psychological dependence on a substance. This dependence will cause compulsive drug seeking — in the case of smoking, the drug is nicotine, an increase in the person's tolerance for the substance, uncontrolled cravings, and self-destructive behavior in order to get the drug. The person with an addiction has long-lasting neuro-chemical changes in their brain.

adrenal glands: Glands located above each kidney that secrete adrenaline; nicotine prompts these glands to release adrenaline into the bloodstream, resulting in a "rush" for the person smoking.

cancer: A disease characterized by abnormal cells that divide uncontrollably. As the disease progresses, the cells may spread to other parts of the body. Smoking increases a person's chances of getting and dying from many types of cancer, including cancer of the colon, bladder, larynx, and pancreas, though lung cancer is most associated with tobacco addiction.

carcinogen: A substance proven to cause cancer; cigarette smoke contains a number of known chemical carcinogens.

cessation: The process the smoker goes through to change his behavior so he can quit smoking.

chronic bronchitis: A disease in which the airways overproduce mucus, causing a hacking cough as the patient tries to expel the mucus. Airways become inflamed and scarred over time, and the person has an increased chance of having recurrent bronchial infections. Smoking increases the risk of chronic bronchitis.

craving: An intense and overwhelming desire to smoke.

dopamine: A neurotransmitter believed to regulate feelings of pleasure. Nicotine from tobacco products manipulates dopamine to give smokers and other tobacco users a sense of pleasure and well-being.

emphysema: A disease in which the lungs’ ability to draw in enough oxygen to feed the body is compromised by deterioration of the air sacs that allow oxygen to pass into the bloodstream. People with emphysema experience shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and chronic fatigue.

hypnosis: A state in which a person is awake, alert, and focused, and has a greater susceptibility to suggestion. Hypnosis is used to help people quit smoking, but medical reviews of its effectiveness are mixed.

neurotransmitter: A chemical that carries information between nerve cells. Nicotine's addictive properties come in part from its ability to affect neurotransmitters like dopamine.

nicotine: An alkaloid contained in tobacco that is responsible for smoking’s psychological and addictive effects, as well as many of its physical effects.

nicotine replacement therapy: Any means of smoking cessation in which the smoker obtains the nicotine the body craves from some other means, such as gum, an inhaler, a nasal spray, or a patch. This can reduce feelings of craving and withdrawal while the smoker attempts to quit.

rush: The euphoria that people feel after they've taken an addictive drug. Smokers typically experience a rush when they take a puff from a cigarette.

secondhand smoke: Environmental smoke left either by the exhalation of a smoker or by tobacco burning in a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. The smoke contains the same toxic substances that smokers inhale. When non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, also called passive smoking, they have an increased risk of cancer and other illnesses.

tar: Toxic, brown sticky particles contained in cigarette smoke. Tar is comprised of a number of chemicals, many of them carcinogenic. Tar also helps carry nicotine into the smoker's lungs.

tobacco: The plant whose leaves are dried and used for smoking.

varenicline: A drug sold under the brand name Chantix and proven to assist in smoking cessation.

withdrawal: Physical or mental symptoms that occur when a person stops taking or suddenly reduces their intake of an addictive drug.

Zyban: An antidepressant that has been found to assist in smoking cessation; also known by the generic name bupropion.

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